The AFP is interested in attracting individuals who are up for the challenge – both physically and mentally for our entry level recruit – Police Officer and Protective Service Officer roles. If you want to give back to the community, align with our core values of integrity, commitment, accountability, fairness, trust and respect than you are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applications are now open for our Entry Level recruit process, should you wish to submit an application please click the below 'apply now' button. This will take you to the 'MyCareer Portal' where you will be able to submit an application for Entry Level Recruit positions.

Due to the evolving COVID-19 situation, the AFP are investigating alternative arrangements to mandatory gateways involved in the Entry Level Recruit process to ensure adherence to current Government restrictions.

Understanding the roles

Police officer

What does a Police Officer do? Police Officer duties are diverse, stimulating and at times challenging. Following completion of recruit training at the AFP College in Canberra you will:

Investigate breaches of the law using contemporary police methodologies

Assess available information or evidence to determine the appropriate law enforcement response(s)

Interview witnesses and suspects during the course of an investigation

Maintain knowledge and understanding of the criminal justice system, components of offences and the social impacts of policing.

Roles exist in ACT Policing, the community policing arm of the AFP in Canberra. A Police Officer is the first point of contact for the public requiring police assistance in the ACT. After your initial recruit training, you will generally remain in ACT Policing until you acquire the foundational skills, knowledge and experience to move into other possible career streams such as community safety, criminal investigations, traffic operations and intelligence.

Protective Service Officer

Protective Service Officers (PSOs) deliver high visibility protective security and first response capability for Australian Commonwealth interest at stations or operations across Australia such as Parliament House in Canberra and numerous Defence sites. PSOs also provide protective security to the diplomatic community.

As valued AFP members, PSOs are law enforcement officials who exercise legal powers and are qualified to use force in the course of their protection duties and will:

Undertake national protective security and first response operations in accordance with standard operating procedures, policies and other instructions;

Assess available information or evidence and determining appropriate law enforcement response(s);

Report, input, collate and retrieve data for operational purposes; and

Maintain cooperative relationships with internal and external stakeholders and the public.

Roles are available in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne and remote locations such as Alice Springs (NT), Exmouth and Geraldton (WA).

The recruitment process (please review as our process has changed!)

We have streamlined our recruitment process to make it easier for you.

We are very interested in applicants who have not previously applied and those interested in pursuing a career in Protective Service Officer roles. Of course, we always welcome interest from female applicants.

What is involved in the new recruitment process?

Step one: Register your interest

Register your interest in a Protective Service Officer or Police role. It is really easy! Simply provide us with some background information and answer a few questions.

Don't forget our eligibility requirements – you can still register if you are not yet 18 years of age but you must be an Australian citizen.

Commence the Entry Assessments.

At this stage you may be invited to undertake a fitness assessment or the AFP Entrance Exam. AFP Recruitment will advise you of the order that you can undertake these assessments, as it will vary according to you when you have registered your interest.

Fitness Assessment

Applicants must meet the fitness benchmarks at time of applying as you may be invited to a fitness assessment soon after you have submitted your application.

Fitness testing is held at various times across the year in locations throughout Australia (most capital cities). You will be sent an invite to book in for a session as they are available, so keep an eye on your nominated email address.

We encourage you to review the minimum fitness requirements before you book into a session. The AFP Health & Fitness Team have developed a 6 week training program to help you prepare – it can be found on the AFP fitness assessment gateway page.

AFP Entrance Exam

The AFP Entrance Exam is conducted four times per year at different locations across Australia. Typically in March, May, August and October. It is administered by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and is one component in a series of recruitment gateways that will determine applicant suitability for a policing or protection role.

You will receive an invitation to register from ACER (the test administrators) who will provide you with details required to book into an Exam. Keep an eye on your nominated email address for your invite. Please note, applicants who have previously attempted the AFP Entrance Exam and did not meet benchmarks are not eligible to re-apply until their 12 month exclusion period has lapsed.

The AFP Entrance Exam is comprised of five online tests (as outlined below) that are designed to assess your level of cognitive ability and emotional intelligence. The majority of questions asked are either multiple choice or short answer format, with the exception being the Online Writing Assessment.

The AFP Entrance Exam is completed in a supervised environment, over a 4-5 hour period.

Test

Assessment Type

Number of Questions

Time Allowed

Literacy Skills

Online Text Entry and Multiple Choice

30

35 mins

Numeracy Skills

Online Text Entry and Multiple Choice

30

35 mins

Abstract Reasoning

Online Multiple Choice

30

35 mins

Written Assessment

Online Extended Writing

1

35 mins

Emotional Intelligence Test

Online Multiple Choice

141

Untimed

You must successfully complete all test components in the AFP Entrance Exam and meet the minimum score for each assessment in order to be deemed suitable to progress in the recruitment process. Upon receiving your outcome, a statement of attainment will be accessible to you outlining your entrance exam results.

There is one opportunity for you to re-sit some of the tests components if you do not pass after your first sitting. Unfortunately this is not the case for the Emotional Intelligence test and if you do not attain the minimum score on your first sitting, you will have to wait 12 months before you can sit the test again.

Due to the evolving COVID-19 situation, the AFP in conjunction with ACER have cancelled the fae to face Entrance Exam until further notice. Alternative arrangements are in place and we encourage registered applicants to monitor their nominated email address for updates on future testing.

City

May 2020

August 2020

October 2020

Adelaide

Saturday 30 May

Saturday 15 August

Saturday 10 October

Alice Springs

N/A

TBC

N/A

Brisbane

Friday 23 May

Saturday 15 August

Saturday 10 October

Canberra

Saturday 30 May

Saturday 15 August

Saturday 10 October

Darwin

Saturday 30 May

N/A

Saturday 10 October

Exmouth

N/A

N/A

N/A

Melbourne

Saturday 30 May

Saturday 15 August

Saturday 10 October

Perth

Saturday 30 May

Saturday 15 August

Saturday 10 October

Sydney

Saturday 30 May

Saturday 15 August

Saturday 10 October

Townsville

N/A

Saturday 15 August

N/A

Cairns

N/A

N/A

Saturday 10 October

Geraldton

N/A

N/A

Saturday 10 October

Candidate Information Booklets are available from the AFP Entrance Exam. Free sample questions and preparation materials are also available.

Step Two: Upon successful completion of the fitness assessment and Entrance Exam, you will be invited to apply!

Complete a detailed application

After successfully completing the fitness and AFP Entrance Exam, you will be invited by AFP Recruitment to complete a detailed application that will require you to upload mandatory documents and complete the AFP Employment Suitability Questionnaire. You will also need to upload your traffic history.

AFP Recruitment will be here to help you every step of the way but you will need provide all requested information when requested in order to progress. A more detailed review will be undertaken of your suitability for an entry level recruit position at this stage and this may include an online video interview.

The Online Video Interview

Following fitness testing and completion of the AFP Entrance Exam, you may be invited to complete a one way video interview. This is designed to assist us to understand more about you and your motivation and interest in applying for a Police or Protective Service Officer role.

As an interview is conducted at the Recruit Application Validation Centre (RAVC) not all applicants will be required to undertake an interview at this stage but don't worry – this process is all online and you will be able to undertake your video interview at any time in the comfort of your own home. Your responses to questions will be recorded and reviewed by AFP Recruitment when required.

Advantages of Video Interviews

enables applicants to focus on responses to questions not how the interviewer may be responding to them

Its more convenient. Applicants can record their responses in a more relaxed environment – this is great for helping with nerves!

It enables applicants to complete the interview at a time that suits them. In turn, this helps when people are juggling work, family and education commitments

all applicants are asked the exact same questions with the same time limitations for responses

Step four

Step five

Please note: Entry level recruit roles are highly sought after and as a large number of high calibre applicants apply the provision of detailed individual feedback is unable to be provided – you will receive an outcome only. The recruitment process may take up to nine months or longer to finalise. Once you have registered, you are urged to regularly check your emails for status updates on your progress.

You should be confident in your ability to meet ALL minimum requirements of the recruitment process at the time of application. Applicants who do not undertake a test or who do not satisfy the requirements of these pre-engagement clearance processes cannot be engaged by the AFP.

There are some costs associated with the assessment process that will be responsibility of the applicant such as but not limited to traffic history, medical and psychological assessments additional to the entry level assessments, and first aid certification.

Not sure if a Police Officer role is for you? Attend one of your Information Sessions. More details to be provided soon.

Considered a Protective Service Officer Role? Find out more at our Information Sessions. More details to be provided soon.

Are you interested to see what female careers are available in Policing and Protection? Visit the Women in the AFP page.

Am I fit enough?

Do you have the appropriate level of fitness? Police Officers and Protective Service Officers must have an appropriate level of fitness to satisfactorily undertake required duties. The fitness assessment – if you are fit, active and live a healthy lifestyle – meeting our minimum requirements should not be a problem. A six week pre-course fitness program (PDF, 590KB) has been developed to help you prepare for the fitness test and to meet the demands of the physical training at the AFP College. Videos are available on the Fitness assessment gateway page to ensure you have the correct technique for sit-ups, push-ups and the beep test.

Hints and tips

We have made the recruitment process simple and possible and you can choose when you undertake some of the required assessment gateways, at a time that suits you.

To help you prepare, here are some hints and tips:

Understand the position you want to be considered for (see the cadidate information packs at the top of this page).

Start fitness training now! Download the 6 week pre-course fitness program (PDF, 590KB) and supporting documents found on the website to help prepare you for the fitness assessment. While you will need to meet the entry level standards of the fitness assessment during the recruitment process, you will be expected to meet the standards of a Physical Competency Assessment whilst at the College.

Practice for the Entrance Exam or purchase some materials that will assist you. There are free resources online.

Preparation is essential! Ensure that you are well rested and avoid alcohol before undertaking any of the gateways

Complete your detailed application when invited. The sooner that you provide the required information the earlier Recruitment will be able to contact you and advise of next steps.

Contact the Recruitment Team if you have specific questions – the team are on hand to assist you and provide you with the correct advice! We will also be in regular contact with you over the course of the recruitment process. Email the AFP Recruitment team or call 02 5127 2555, 8.00am – 4.00pm (AEST).